On 2014-08-09 20:49, KrakenHunterSteve wrote:Just picked up Denizen 8 - supposed to be formulated like the old J Wray and Nephew 17. This one really picks up the essence of the Jamaican Pot Still, like Smith & Cross.

Just picked this up as well. As I understand, no need to mix this rum with another rum for a classic Vic's Mai Tai as it is blended to mimic Wray & Nephew 17 Yr Old -- correct?

That's what I understand, that the Denizen 8 is supposed to be similar to Trader Vic's original rum choice for the Mai Tai. I'm having my second one tonight, and I'm still not sure about it. I feel like the flavor is too light, and while the first sip is nice, the rum starts to disappear behind the other flavors. I don't really want to start tweaking my recipe again just for one rum, but my current recipe is designed to stand up against rums like Coruba and Clement, and that may be the problem.

On 2014-08-10 17:53, thePorpoise wrote:I can't imagine that a 17-y.o. rum could have ever shined through the proportions of the original recipe.

The J Wray 17 would have been bottled at the turn of the century, and I'm sure technique and quality has been refined over the years. Since the current recipes call for a mix of funky Jamaican and hojo Martinique, I would imagine this wasn't as smooth a rum by today's standards.

That being said, I do cut down the lime considerably in my version and sometimes I prefer a more pungent rhum, like La Favorite, over Clement VSOP.